1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a package of a terminal series strip which is supplied to a crimping apparatus which crimps a terminal metal fixture on a distal end of an electrical wire.
2. Statement of the Prior Art
For convenience of explanation, a conventional package of a terminal series strip will be described below by referring to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a conventional package of a terminal series strip.
A terminal metal fixture is crimped on the distal end of an electrical wire to be inserted into a male connector housing or a female connector housing. The terminal metal fixtures are supplied to the crimping apparatus in order to crimp the terminal metal fixture onto the electrical wire. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, a terminal series strip 50 on which many terminal metal fixtures 51 are united in parallel through elongate carriers 52 is wound around a core 54a of a bobbin 54 together with an intermediate layer sheet 53 for preventing the terminal metal fixture 51 from getting caught, thereby forming a package. Paying out the terminal series strip 50 from the bobbin 54 is carried out by drawing the strip 50 from the side of the crimping apparatus not shown while the terminal series strip 50 is hung between the bobbin 54 and the crimping apparatus. As the bobbin 54 is rotated under tension acting on the terminal series strip 50, the strip 50 is supplied from the bobbin 54 to the crimping apparatus. The terminal metal fixtures 51 are separated from the strip 50 one after another and the separated terminal metal fixture 51 is crimped on an electrical wire not shown in the crimping apparatus.
In order to connect the terminal series strip 50 in the package to the bobbin, heretofore as shown in FIG. 5, leading ends of the terminal series strip 50 and intermediate layer sheet 53 are secured through adhesive tapes 55 and 56 to the core 54a, respectively. In this case, when the top of the leading end of the terminal series strip 50 exits from an outer periphery of the bobbin 54a, the tension acting on the terminal series strip 50 is increased. Thus, the terminal series strip 50 is stretched, so that the leading end is stripped from the adhesive tape 55. Consequently, the terminal series strip 50 exits from the bobbin 54 and is drawn to the side of the crimping apparatus.
However, there are the following problems in the conventional manner of coupling the leading end of the terminal series strip 50 to the bobbin 54 directly. The terminal series strip 50 hung between the bobbin 54 and the crimping apparatus is stretched under high tension immediately before the strip 50 exits from the bobbin 54. The leading end of the terminal series strip 50 springs while deflecting after the strip exits the bobbin 54. If the free leading end strikes the crimping apparatus or another peripheral device, the end becomes deformed. Consequently, many terminal metal fixtures within a certain range of length from the leading end on the strip 50 cannot be used. Also, in the case that the free leading end is caught by the crimping apparatus or another peripheral device, operation of the crimping apparatus might be impeded.